Arsenal Predicted Lineup against Burnley carries the weight of history
Monday night at the Emirates carries a particular kind of excitement that no neutral can ignore. My predicted Arsenal starting lineup against Burnley on 18 May sees Mikel Arteta field David Raya in goal, a back four of Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly anchoring the midfield, with Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Leandro Trossard supporting Viktor Gyökeres up front in a 4-2-3-1 system. Two wins from two remaining fixtures will hand Arsenal their first league title in over two decades, and this fixture against already-relegated Burnley presents an opportunity Arteta simply cannot afford to waste.
Ben White, Jurriën Timber, and Mikel Merino all remain unavailable through injury, so the defensive shape demands some improvisation. Cristhian Mosquera slots in at right back, playing with a level of composure you rarely see from someone his age.
William Saliba and Gabriel form what I consider the most reliable central defensive partnership in the division this season. Arsenal’s defence has conceded just 26 goals all season, the best record in the league, highlighting exactly how consistent this back four has been week after week. Riccardo Calafiori, meanwhile, keeps growing into one of the most complete left-backs in Europe, and his ability to carry the ball deep into the opponent’s half will give Burnley’s tired legs serious problems.
Declan Rice and Lewis-Skelly must control the tempo relentlessly
The midfield engine room sits at the heart of everything Arteta wants to build here. Declan Rice has been absolutely brilliant across this entire title run-in, breaking up play, driving forward, and dictating the tempo from deep. Myles Lewis-Skelly, operating alongside him at just 18 years old, has racked up the kind of experience this season that usually takes players years to gather.
Together, they give Arsenal the discipline to press high without leaving gaps behind, which becomes critical against a Burnley side that have won just one of their last 27 fixtures and have suffered 18 defeats in that period. Burnley present no real creative threat in midfield, so Rice and Lewis-Skelly should find enough time and space to dictate this match almost from the opening whistle.
I do acknowledge the debate around Eberechi Eze’s inclusion here. Eze struggled to make the desired impact against West Ham, raising the possibility that Martin Odegaard could come back into the XI for this fixture. In my view, however, Arteta keeps faith with Eze in this context because Burnley’s defence is simply not equipped to handle a player who is so unpredictable. Eze drifts inside, creates sharp angles, and drives forward at pace in ways that will cause the Clarets’ backline real problems. Furthermore, the pressure of a title race suits someone who plays with freedom rather than burden.
Gyökeres hunts history against a defence already broken by the season
Viktor Gyökeres enters this match as the player every Arsenal supporter has their eyes fixed on. He reached 21 goals in all competitions this season with a brace against Fulham, becoming the first Arsenal player to net 20-plus goals in all competitions in a debut campaign since Alexis Sánchez in 2014–15. His form since January has been incredible. Across Europe’s top five leagues in 2026, only Harry Kane, Vinícius Júnior, and Lamine Yamal have scored more than him, placing him in world-class company for the calendar year.
Against a Burnley side that have conceded 2.5 goals per game on the road and shipped 12 goals across their last five matches, Gyökeres looks well-positioned to add to that tally. Leandro Trossard, fresh off his match-winning goal against West Ham, operates in the left channel with the kind of calm efficiency that defines champions. Trossard has 12 goal contributions in the league this season and scored his sixth Premier League goal of the campaign against West Ham in the 83rd minute. Bukayo Saka, as always, brings relentless quality from the right, creating chances and taking them with equal conviction.
This is the Arsenal predicted starting lineup against Burnley that I believe gives Arteta’s side the best possible chance of securing a result that firmly shifts this title race into their hands. The squad knows the stakes. The Emirates knows the stakes. Monday night belongs to the Gunners.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): David Raya – Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori – Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly – Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard – Viktor Gyökeres.